A spokeswoman for Ms Collins was unable to say whether the minister had asked for Crown funding but did say the matter would cost the taxpayer nothing if Mr Mallard apologised or backed up his remarks with evidence.

The cabinet ministers meeting would have taken into account public opinion, which is resoundingly against the taxpayer funding the defamation side show.

Update: John Key has claimed that Judith Collins had already informed him that she would pay for her own defamation case prior to the cabinet meeting. The NZ Herald reports:

Prime Minister John Key said the matter was not discussed at yesterday's Cabinet meeting as Ms Collins had already decided not to ask her fellow ministers to approve the funding.

That was consistent with what she told him last Wednesday night when he first discussed the matter with her.

However during the interview with John Key prior to the cabinet meeting he said that Judith Collins was entitled to ask for funding to meet her defamation claim.

Why would he say that if Collins had already informed him that she had decided to pay for the defamation cases herself? This clearly shows that they are liars.